Cuff link



Aug. 18, 1964 c. ESPINO CUFF LINK Filed Feb. 19, 1962 INVENTOR. C AR LOS ESPINO ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,144,692 CUFF LINK Carlos Espino, 1242 Devon Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Feb. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 174,186 1 Claim. (Cl. 24--97) This invention relates to a cuff link or the like although it has obvious application to such related uses as shirt studs and similar devices.

It has hitherto been proposed to provide in cuif links, shirt studs and the like a basic structure which performs all the functions such as buttoning the sleeves or the shirts except that the exposed portion is unadorned, and to provide means for releasably attaching ornamental studs to the basic structure with the result that, still using the same basic structure a plurality of ornamental studs may be employed, one after the other. It is thus contemplated that a set or sets of ornamental studs will be provided with each basic structure.

In order to accomplish the ends sought in the preceding paragraph some means for quickly releasing the studs when desired, but surely retaining the same when in use, is required. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved clutch for such an assembly which is characterized by its extreme simplicity, economy, positiveness of action and quick release.

It has been common practice in cufif links and shirt studs to provide a shank, a pivoted member on one end of the shank and the ornamental stud on the other end of the shank, all in alignment. It is a feature of this invention that the ornamental stud and associated clutch are off-set to one side of said shank to dispose the same for more efiective display.

These and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the annexed specification in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section, taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section similar to FIGURE 3 showing the clutch in released position; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective elevation of the shank and clutch mounting bracket.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the cuff link shown includes a bifurcated shank 10 having inwardly extending rectangular pins 11 and a usually hollow pivoted member 13 having rectangular openings 14 to receive pins 11. Member 13 is made of two pieces 15 and 16, member 15 being retained by turning'over the ends of member 16 so that member 15 is free to flex as a spring. The rectangular shape of pins 11 and openings 14 assures a snap action of member 13 from the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 to a position in alignment with shank 10. So much is conventional.

At its upper end the shank 10 is bent to one side and presents a portion 17 having a circular opening 18 therein. While shown here as a full circle, the opening 18 may be less than circular or even semicircular if desired.

Retained in the opening 18 as by silver soldering is a cylindrical shell 19 having a closed bottom 20. A clutch assembly 21 is mounted in shell 19, the top edges 22 of the shell 19 peened over and soldered. An opening 23 in the shell aligns with opening 24 in the clutch assembly (FIGURE 3).

The clutch assembly comprises a cylindrical member 25, open at the bottom and having a top 26 carrying a boss 27. Boss 27 fits in a circular opening 28 in shell 19. The boss 27 and top 26 are provided with one continuous central opening 29.

An annular groove 30 is formed in the inner wall of cylindrical member 25 and a spring coil 31 rides therein. The wire forming the spring coil 31 is curled back upon itself as at 32, then bent sharply in the other direction to form a partial loop 33, bent again as at 34 and continues outwardly to present an end 35 adjacent openings 23 and 24. The other end of the spring coil is bent over as at 36 against one side of opening 23.

A suitable ornamental stud 40 is set in a cup 41 which cup carries a central depending pin 42.

The operation of the above-described device is as follows: Assuming the device to be assembled as shown in FIGURES 14, an instrument is inserted through openings 23 and 24, contacts end 35 and presses the coil inward. This moves the coil from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to that shown in FIGURE 5, the bend 34 disengaging the pin 42. The ornamental stud 40 may then be removed and replaced by another as desired. However, the coil spring is of sufiicient power to assure the studs against accidental displacement.

While there has been described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention and it is intended to cover herein all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A cutf link including an ornamental stud, a pin carried by said ornamental stud, a housing, there being an annular groove in an inner side of said housing, a resilient spring mounted in said housing and having a configuration wherein said spring has a first annular portion forming a major part of a circle adapted for seating in said annular groove, one free end of said annular portion terminating in a tip which extends outwardly therefrom into an associated laterally extending aperture formed in said housing to prevent clockwise rotation of said spring in said annular groove, the other free end of said spring being bent in a plurality of directions within the said housing to present pin engaging portions for releasably engaging said pin carried by said stud, said plurality of bends comprising a reversely bent second arcuate portion extending in a clockwise direction from said first arcuate portion and forming a major portion of a circle normally tangent to said pin, said second portion merging into an arcuate reversely bent third portion normally spaced from said first portion and having a free end normally extending toward said pin and merging into a fourth arcuate portion normally abutting said pin throughout the extent thereof, said fourth arcuate portion merging into a fifth arcuate portion normally tangent to the second arcuate portion to thus surround said pin and terminating in a sixth portion which extends substantially linearly to said 3 pin and terminates in a finger engageable end portion normally positioned within said aperture and adapted to be actuated to release said spring from gripping engagement with said pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 470,751 Fink Mar. 15, 1892 524,523 Champenois Aug. 14, 1894 10 1,234,359 McCormack July 24, 1917 1,300,581 Carr Apr. 15, 1919 1,383,146 Perrin June 28, 1921 Carr Aug. 9, 1921 Gammell Jan. 15, 1924 Hopkins Oct. 28, 1930 Haber et a1 May 13, 1958 Avedon Jan. 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS France Sept. 21, 1959 France Sept. 5, 1960 Germany Feb. 27, 1912 Germany Sept. 25, 1920 Italy July 26, 1938 

